Sydney rail project ramps up with ground testing for potential towers
Surveys starting this weekend into the ground conditions at the site of the planned station at Woollahra in Sydney’s east will determine the scale of the project and whether towers can be built over the railway, such as at Bondi Junction, Waterloo or in the city centre.
More than four months after Premier Chris Minns revived station plans at Woollahra, the state’s transport department will carry out geotechnical surveys of ground conditions as well as assessments of existing structures in the area. The works will be carried out during the planned closure of the T4 eastern suburban line for rail repairs this weekend.
This points to an extensive backlog of works that will be required to meet an ambitious timeframe for construction of the station to begin next year and be completed in 2029. The government estimates the station’s construction will cost $200 million.
Assessing ground conditions will give planners greater insight into the scope of design options for the station and whether towers will be included above the railway. Apartment towers above the station will help the government more easily meet its target of building up to 10,000 homes in Woollahra and nearby Edgecliff.
So-called overstation developments of office or apartment towers have been or are being built above some stations on Sydney’s expanding metro rail network, including Waterloo, Crows Nest and Martin Place. Some stations on the city’s heavy rail network, including Bondi Junction, Edgecliff and Chatswood, are also undergoing over-the-rail developments.
The site at Woollahra has been idle since the 1970s, when a station was proposed for the eastern suburbs rail line but no progress was made due to cost overruns and strong opposition from local residents.
The government is planning to rezone Woollahra and Edgecliff stations similar to those on Burwood North and Parramatta Road to pave the way for up to 10,000 homes to be built. The redevelopment is expected to take around two years and plans are expected to go on public display in the second half of this year.
Transport Minister John Graham said the government was at an early stage in rezoning Woollahra and Edgecliff stations and any decisions on overstation development would be made once the process was further advanced.
Graham said it was a “back to the future moment” as work to connect Woollahra ghost station to the rail system begins this weekend.
“This station makes sense when you think of young families having to move out of Sydney because they can’t afford a house,” he said.
“Nearly 10,000 new homes in this area are part of the solution to this problem and provide a rebalance to all the housing growth happening in western Sydney.”
Earlier this week Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane said there would be no change to the Coalition’s pro-housing policy or its stance on supporting the opening of Woollahra station.
Sloane has announced his new-look shadow cabinet, which includes vocal YIMBY Chris Rath, who takes on the planning and housing portfolio. He said the coalition would maintain the stance it took under former leader Mark Speakman and pursue the YIMBY (yes, in my backyard) agenda.
“Chris Rath has experience and interest in housing and development and I thought he was the best person for this role and reflects this consistent position on housing,” he said. “We need to be pro-housing, ensuring young people have the opportunity to realize their dreams of home ownership.”
NSW Transport Secretary Josh Murray said geotechnical work at Woollahra would be critical to plans for the station’s design and reiterated that construction was expected to start next year and be completed in 2029.
“These works are an important step towards the realization of a station that will meet the needs of the society for decades to come,” he said.
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